De Rossi confident new coach De Marigny will make a difference for Zebre

Zebre slipped to back-to-back defeats to their fellow countrymen over the festive period meaning they now lie bottom of the GUINNESS PRO12 table.

This Saturday brings the first opportunity for Andrea Cavinato's troops to put things right as they welcome Munster to the Stadio XXV Aprile.

And De Rossi is hopeful that De Marigny's attention to detail can lead Zebre to more positive results over time.

"I am pleased to be able to bring in de Marigny - he is someone I know very well having been team-mates in the national set-up," said De Rossi

"The addition of Roland has been considered for some time and we decided to implement it with the beginning of the new year.

"He has always been a hard worker and I hope, in addition to his expertise, he can contribute to our staff in taking care of those details that you sometimes need to win games.

"Finally I think he is the right person to help the development of the club's youngsters."

South Africa-born De Marigny made 19 appearances for Italy during his playing career after qualifying to play for the Azzurri on residency grounds.

And after picking up experience as a coach with the likes of Granducato Parma Rugby since his retirement, the 39-year-old insists Zebre present the perfect challenge for him.

"I'm glad to have this opportunity and it will be an important step in my growth as a coach," he explained.

"Zebre have a group of quality players that just need to believe in their own skills to achieve significant results for this franchise."

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